Victor Christ-Janer House Under Threat of Demolition

The late architect Victor Christ-Janer’s home located on 77 Frogtown Road in New Canaan, Connecticut has been threatened to be demolished.

Victor Christ-Janer had been influential in converting the landscape of New Canaan, Connecticut and making it a Mecca for modern architecture. The architect designed fourteen modern houses in area, twelve of which still remain today.

For the last couple of months several people, including residents and architects have been advocating the saving of the modern Christ-Janer property on Frogtown Road, from demolition by the property owner. Along with being a modernist piece of architecture, one of the buildings on the property which was completed in 1952 was the home of the architect until the time of his death in 2008. The house was on the market for several years until it was purchased, however, the homeowners could not make appropriate repairs, resulting in its of the current owner, Lindsay Warren. Mr. Warren plans on building a new home on the land and selling it thereafter.

Currently, the house has been granted a 90-day delay for demolition by the New Canaan Historical Review Committee. During this time period the Historical Review Committee will debate whether the structure has historical, architectural or cultural significance. This lets for those interested in saving the house to advocate for its significance and preservation and to propose potential alternative uses. Furthermore, the delay for demolition allows for the accurate documentation of the property as well as saving any significant records, photographs, and artifacts associated with the structure.

The battle between the property owner and preservation activists is growing and in a few months the fate of the house will be determined.